"It rained a little yesterday, and because I live next to the stream, I was so scared I couldn't even sleep. I pray every day that it only rains a little," said a resident.

Sinsang-ri in Jojong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, was the site of a major tragedy on July 20 last year, when a landslide triggered by torrential rain buried four people, leaving one dead and three rescued.

Nearly one year later, as of July 3, most infrastructure such as roads and electricity in the village has been restored. The site where houses had collapsed has been turned back into farmland, which residents are now cultivating.

The area where three houses once stood has been cleared, making it difficult to tell at a glance that a landslide had occurred there.

However, stream restoration work, including embankment construction, is still underway along the Segokcheon Stream that flows through the village, and traces of temporary levee reinforcements using sandbags remain around some roads.

Ham (85), a resident at the Sinsang 3-ri village hall, recalled the event, saying, "I still get scared when I think about that time. Soil, debris, and trash poured into my yard and even inside my house."

"Much of it has been restored now, and I have built a high cement threshold in front of my gate to keep the water out," Ham added. "But even though it only rained a little yesterday, the water in the stream rose quickly, and I was terrified."

The site of a camping ground in Mail-ri, Jojong-myeon, also looks different from a year ago, but scars remain in many places.

During the heavy rains last year, soil and debris poured into the camping ground, and three members of a family were swept away by flash floods and died while trying to evacuate.

When visited one year later, the camping ground was overgrown with weeds and had ceased operations, while the nearby stream, once ravaged by the flash flood, had dried up, revealing its bed.

Insects swarmed around the neglected facilities, and the slope where the landslide occurred had been reinforced with stones to prevent further erosion.

Communication line work was underway nearby, and guardrails had been installed around a bridge that had been washed away during the downpour.

A convenience store building in Sang-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, which was at high risk of collapse after tilting toward the stream during last year's heavy rain, has now been demolished.

At the time, the area was in chaos, with debris covering roads and buildings and utility poles toppled. Guests at a nearby training facility were evacuated with the help of 119 rescue teams.

The convenience store has since relocated to another building next to the original site and is currently in operation.

Traces of soil reinforcement remain around the site of the demolished building and along the stream.

Stream maintenance work is also continuing along the Sibitancheon Stream in the Jojong-myeon area.

Excavators were laying stones on the stream bed and stabilizing the slopes, with construction materials piled on one side of the stream.

Gapyeong-gun announced that as of June 30, 300 out of 309 restoration projects, including those for landslides caused by last year's torrential rain, have been completed, marking a 97.1% recovery rate.

While visible restoration is mostly complete, the anxiety of the residents remains an ongoing reality.

Some residents expressed that the memories of last year's heavy rain remain like trauma.

They said that even the sound of rain reminds them of the muddy water rushing into their homes, and they struggle to sleep at night whenever the water level in the stream rises even slightly.

Park (70), a resident of Daebo-ri, said, "I am afraid every time it rains, and I get goosebumps just hearing the sound of it. They tell us to evacuate during the monsoon season, but there is no proper place to go."

Choi (81), a resident of Hyeon-ri, also lamented, "The water rose in an instant last year and left my house in shambles. Even though they say it has been restored, I am anxious because I don't know what will happen if another heavy rain comes."

On July 20 last year, a surprise downpour in Gapyeong, with rainfall exceeding 70mm per hour in the early morning, resulted in 7 deaths—caused by being buried in landslides or swept away by swollen streams—and 9 injuries.

Approximately 1,500 residents suffered damages, including flooded and damaged homes, isolation, and power and water outages, with the total damage to public and private facilities estimated at 115.6 billion won.

Gapyeong-gun plans to conduct additional surveys of landslide-prone areas and reorganize resident evacuation systems to ensure such damage is not repeated this year.

The county also decided to strengthen safety management for campsites, tourist accommodations, and stream and sewage facilities.

(Photo: Yonhap News)